LOUISVILLE, KY. (WDRB) -- Maxwell Smith is the starting quarterback for the University of Kentucky, just as he was at the end of last season (until his injury) and at the end of spring practice.
Why Joker Phillips waited until preseason camp was complete to announce it is a bit of a mystery, but in reality, it doesn't matter. Don't confuse making an announcement with making a decision.
The call on this, in all likelihood, has been evident for a while, though Phillips wouldn't allow for that on Monday. Phillips said it came down to the wire, and that senior Morgan Newton's shoulder had nothing to do with it. But even Newton himself said he could see the writing on the wall, and offensive coordinator Randy Sanders said, "I think by the way they practiced it was evident that Max was probably a little more productive at this point."
There's a lot of respect for Newton among UK's coaches, but Smith has been the presumptive starter all preseason, and neither freshman candidate (Patrick Towles nor Jalen Whitlow) apparently worked himself into position to be the backup, let alone the starter.
So Smith takes over after a completely respectable freshman debut -- completing 54.9 percent of his passes for 819 yards and four touchdowns in eight games. Every pass he threw was against an SEC defense. Smith threw for 283 yards in a rout of Ole Miss and his 7.9 yards per pass attempt in that game were significant for this reason -- it marked the only time all season UK averaged more than seven yards per attempt.
Which brings us to the key facet of this decision. Smith is the quarterback, but the rejuvenation of the passing game is not completely on his shoulders. In fact, I would go so far as to say it is not even mostly on his shoulders. Maxwell is a capable quarterback. The key to UK's offensive fortunes this season will be finding capable receivers, and giving him enough time to throw to them.
More numbers. UK averaged 4.8 yards per pass attempt last season. No team in the Football Bowl Subdivision -- BCS conference or non-BCS conference -- averaged fewer. Some of that was Newton's inability to deliver the ball downfield accurately, or to make reads quickly enough. But a lot of it was lack of consistent playmaking by receivers.
Against defenses like LSU and South Carolina, anemic passing is not good, but you excuse it to a degree. You're playing NFL-caliber talent at a number of defensive positions. But UK, as an offense, managed just 5.4 yards per attempt against Western Kentucky and 6.4 against Central Michigan. Smith himself managed just 5.0 against Mississippi State -- despite completing 29 of 38 passes.
That's a lot of jabbing without throwing a knockout punch. And if UK's offense can't find a way to stretch more yardage out of the passes that are completed, Wildcat fans will be debating which freshman needs to be thrown into the fire -- the way Smith was -- by midseason at the latest.
La'Rod King caught 40 passes last season and, despite lacking the kind of speed-to-burn you'd like your top playmaker to have, is a playmaker anyway. He's big, reliable and confident. He's also going to see blanket coverage this season. As much as the focus of UK's receiving corps has been on King this preseason, opposing defenses will focus on him just as much. And outside of him, the rest of the returning wideouts caught a total of three touchdown passes last season.
The No. 2 player in yards-per-catch last season was Josh Clemmons, a running back who is not at 100 percent. At No. 3 was a tight end, Nick Melillo, who has graduated.
Where Smith might allow the offense to work better is in the area of recognition and speed. He should have a better understanding of protections this season. A year ago, the offense sometimes had to keep a running back at home just to buy him a bit more time. Still, he was a quicker read in the pocket than Newton, and figures to have improved. He's also accurate, which is the strength Phillips mentioned on Monday.
"He's really accurate. It's what he's been throughout this camp," Phillips said. "We knew he was pretty accurate in the spring. But he's become really, really accurate. He doesn't always throw the tightest spiral, but I think there are a lot of great quarterbacks who don't throw great spirals. It's the receiver's job to adjust and make a play on it. He's been accurate. He's led. He really sees the field real well."
But it's what the receivers do when the ball arrives that is, in some ways, the much bigger question mark for this UK team. And, for that matter, the question of which receivers will be on the field to make those plays.
At the moment, UK's depth chart has King starting at one wideout spot, Demarco Robinson -- who averaged 3.8 yards per catch last season -- at another and E.J. Fields, whose season-long reception last year was 18 yards, at the third. Word around camp has been that true freshman Damarcus Sweat could be a game-changer, and the Wildcats have a couple of other true freshman who could be X-factors. If there's a position on the field where a freshman can step right in and make a difference, wideout is the one. And even if one doesn't, just their presence has ratcheted up the competition and presumably sharpened performance.
In two scrimmages this year, Smith has averaged 7.9 yards per attempt, and if he can translate that to the season, it'll be a good start for the Wildcats.
But even though he was the center of attention on Monday, he needs help. UK now has its quarterback starter. But it needs some big-play finishers just as badly.
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